


Louder Than Words

by shehero6



Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, come get ya fluff, lots of smooches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 09:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17302463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shehero6/pseuds/shehero6
Summary: The first time Titania kisses Braham, he doesn't know her name yet.Or rather, 5 times Titania kisses Braham and 1 time he kisses her back.





	Louder Than Words

**Author's Note:**

> For clarity's sake, this is what Titania looks like.
> 
> https://commander-titania.tumblr.com/post/181533879756/titanias-looks-throughout-the-timeline-a-colour

_The first time Titania kisses Braham, he doesn't know her name yet._

The Molten Facility had come crashing down after the charges blew, sending the over glorified torture devices plummeting into the lava below. The small group of survivors and heroes gathered themselves into a small crowd inside the lift to the surface, exhaustion setting in once the adrenaline begun to wear off.

Rox and Braham let out matching sighs, sagging in their boots. The norn runs a hand down his face, grumbling to himself.

“Is it suppertime yet?” He asks, tilting his head toward his new allies, a small grin on his face.

Rox huffs a laugh, meeting his grin with one of her own. “Maybe if we’re lucky. I have to get these prisoners back to the citadel, though.”

Braham nods. “I'm going straight back to Hoelbrak with these others.” He gestures to the other norn surrounding them. “I feel good but exhausted.”

“First time doing a daring rescue?” Titania pipes up, mask muffling her voice. 

“What gave me away?” He turns to her, smile meeting his eyes. 

“I more or less plopped on my butt too, after my first mission.” She lies easily. “But for your first time, you did pretty good!”

Rox barks a laugh. “Don’t let his girlfriend hear that!”

Braham’s face twists into embarrassment. “Ottilia’s not my girlfriend!” He sputters, but laughs along anyway.

A calm silence washes over them as the lift continues to carry them upward. Titania shifts from foot to foot, hanging close to Rox out of fear of being trampled by the freed charr and norn prisoners.

“Well, what are your plans after this all settles down?” The sylvari asks, meeting Braham’s eyes again. “Gonna hang out in Cragstead? Become a dolyak farmer?”

“Ha! No, nothing like that.” His shoulders shake with his laughter, and Titania finds herself transfixed on the way his easy smile flashes hints of his sharp jagged teeth. “Not sure, honestly. What about you Rox?”

The gladium grimaces. “Oh, y’know… Work.” Titania pats her arm soothingly, she knows how Rytlock can be.

“Hey!” Braham barks. “If you're ever near Cragstead, you'd better stop by.”

“If I come to Cragstead, it won't be to lounge around your hearth. It'll be to grab you for mission support.” 

“I'll keep my mace handy.” 

“Blue?” Rox turns to Titania, her alias almost not registering.

“Hm?” She blinks a few times. “Yeah?”

“Any way I can contact you? You’re a pretty talented mesmer, and very sweet.” The charr smiles softly, nudging her with a gentle elbow. “I think I speak for both Braham and myself when I say I’d like to see you again.” Braham flashes a thumbs up.

Titania pauses. She hadn’t considered the possibility of them wanting to see her again. This poses a problem, that being her contact information would give her identity away.

“Uhh… y’know what? I’m gonna give you my brother’s mailing address. He’ll forward anything you guys send to me.” She says, pulling a scrap of paper and a pen from her boot.

“You had those in your shoe the whole time?” Braham asks incredulously. 

“Yes, and it was very uncomfortable.” She scribbles onto the paper, ripping it in half and giving each of them a strip. “There. Just make sure to write on the envelope that it’s for me.”

Rox’s eye’s bug out, upon reading the paper. “This is Pact Marshal Trahearne’s address?!” 

“My brother’s his secretary.” Another lie slips out, covering her tracks. She hates lying like this, but she’s in too deep to stop. “All the mail goes through him first. Don’t worry, he won’t read it.” She stumbles momentarily as the lift comes to a stop, opening its doors and releasing them.

The gladium studies her for a moment, before shrugging. “Alright, that works for me. Anyway, I’ll get you guys to come help me out sometime. I’ll see you around, cubs.” Rox claps them both on the shoulder before whistling for the charr refugees to follow her.

“Not if I see you first!” Braham calls after her, before turning back to Titania. “Y’know, because of her horns. She must be really easy to see in a crowd.”

Titania lets out a small laugh, before leaning over to kiss his cheek. “See you later, Braham.”

Said norn blinks dumbly a few times, as though in shock. “Y-yeah! Yeah I’ll… I’ll see you later, Blue!”

She waves, and blinks away, dreading the explanation she’d have to give to Trahearne.

* * *

_The second kiss she gave him was more of a mistake, really. A faux pas._

The mesmerized Watchknights went down like sacks of bricks, not created for the abuse they’d receive from Braham’s mace. The artificial soldiers crumple and creak as they hit the ground, gears scattering around the pile of newly made scrap.

Braham gives a victory howl, arms shooting into the air as he cheers for himself. Leaping off the pile of Watchknight scrap he’d managed to accumulate, he rushes off to bash more, a wicked grin on his face.

“Burn me,” Rox sighs, watching the norn with a look of disbelief. “How is he not tired yet? We’ve been at this for two hours!” She makes her point by shooting an oncoming false bandit through the head.

“You saw how sad he was earlier, I think this is just what he needs.” Titania replies, knocking the head off another one. “Besides, this isn’t so bad. There’s medics on standby… A snack table…”

The gladium laughs softly. “I think I watched him shove a handful or two of cocktail shrimp into his pockets, now that you mention it.”

“Is that where that smell’s coming from?!” Titania whips her head back toward Braham, mouth agape.

The norn bashes another knight with his shield, sending its torso tumbling to the ground. “This is the best day of my life!” He calls over the war screams of the robots, as they begin to swarm him.

Cursing under her breath, tell no one, The sylvari rushes to his aid, blasting one of the automatons trying to gang up behind him. “Rox, cover us!” She yells, skidding into position behind her friend.

“I take the 50 on the right, and you take the 50 on the left?” Braham calls over his shoulder, grin ever present.

Titania scoffs, face fond. “Screw you, I’ll take 51.” 

“That’s the spirit!” 

The ensuing battle, if Titania had to describe it, sucked ass. She was covered in some sort of mechanical oil, scraps of metal stuck to her skin, and the smell of the now extremely warm pocket shrimp was mixed with the smell of burning rubber. Titania ached in more places than she wanted to admit, and the noxious smell made her want to gag.

Braham and Rox sat with her atop the pile of ruined Watchknights, the norn tossing shrimp at Frostbite, grinning in delight as the devourer rushed to catch and eat them.  
“That’s disgusting.” Rox remarks, lip curling as she tries to hide her snout in her sleeve.

“You spit on the ground!” Braham retorts. “How’s feeding Frostbite worse?!”

“That’s to dispel bad luck!” She defends herself. “And I’m almost convinced the smell’s what attracted that horde!”

“They can’t smell for shit! Besides, Blue and I had everything under control!” He presents a fist to her, holding it out toward her. “Right, Blue?”

Titania stares at the fist, eyes flitting up from his knuckles to study his expression. Braham blinks a few times, grin slipping from his face slightly as time stretches on. He raises his eyebrows, looking down at his fist expectantly.

So, doing the most logical thing she can think of, mimics something she’s seen her Uncle Logan do to Queen Jennah many times. She takes his fist into her hand and gently presses her lips to his knuckles.

Braham sputters, yanking his hand back. “Blue, I meant a fistbump!”

* * *

_The third kiss was sweet and fleeting, only lasting for a brief moment._

Titania and Braham were lazily browsing the stalls the Zephyrites had set up along the jagged Labyrinthine Cliffs, Titania much more interested than Braham was. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as they flitted over the various wares the flying travellers had on display. 

A variety of fabrics hung up on string, their patterns flowing in the gentle seabreeze. Wind chimes and what looked to be silver spoons jangled and chimed, shining brilliantly. Beautiful and unfamiliar clothing were laid out on tables and on wooden mannequins, the style foreign and new to the young sylvari.

Eventually her eyes landed on a small table just coated in a variety of jewelry. With a small excited gasp, she nudges Braham to alert him where she’s going, and scooches in between two other festival goers to browse.

The stall’s salesman’s eyes light up as they spot her approach. “Hello there, enjoying the festivities?” 

“Mm-hm!” She nods once, too invested in looking at the decorative bobbles to pay them much mind. 

She picks up a pair of simple earrings, holding them up to her ears and peering into the small mirror set up on the table’s corner. No, too plain. She picks up a different pair, examining her reflection once more. Ugh, definitely not 

A familiar shadow casts over her as Braham leans up behind her. “What’ve you got there?”

“Earrings.” She replies, holding another pair up to the mirror and putting them down with disappointment. “I can never find any good ones, they’re always so… I dunno, clunky?”

Braham peers over her head, squinting at the table by his knees. “What about those ones?” He points with a large finger toward a pair she hadn’t noticed.

Titania delicately plucks up a pair of butterfly shaped earrings, cupping them in her hand to inspect them. They were made of some sort of sparkly purple gemstones encased in a golden metal. She doubted they were truly gold, and were much more likely made of a cheap brass. Still, she held them up to her ears to take a proper look.

With a delighted gasp, she looks at her reflection with glee. The lovely yet simple earrings were incredible, matching her perfectly. “I have to get these.” She states.

“That’s 2 gold.” The merchant pipes up, having been watching her intently. Titania tries to ignore the way Braham quietly chokes at the price. 

“Consider that a done deal my man-” She starts, slapping aimlessly at her hip where she would usually keep her purse. There was no purse, the slapping now growing panicked as she began to hysterically scramble to look for it.

“No, no no no no…!” Titania she mumbles to herself, trying to remember where she put it. The memory dawns on her. “I left my money at home…”

“How’d you manage that?” Braham asks.

Another memory, Kahedins all but shoving a hat on her head and forcibly putting sunscreen on her exposed shoulders, her bag forgotten on the ground next to her.

“I don’t know.” She sighs, setting the earrings back down on the table and stepping back out into the crowd. “Let’s go see how Taimi’s holding up.”

“Yeah, yeah okay uh.” Braham waves. “I’ll meet you in a minute, I saw something I want to take a closer look at.”

-

Braham found Titania and Taimi sitting around a table with Kasmeer and Marjory, all sharing a giant sundae.

“Am I getting some of that?” He asks. 

“Depends, did you bring a spoon?” Marjory asks cooly, raising a brow.

“I have hands, don’t I?”

“You keep your paws out of this, then.” She quips.

Braham laughs before whistling to catch Titania’s attention. “Hey Blue, catch!” 

Titania squeaks and clamps her eyes shut as he hucks a small package at her, and she claps her hands to catch it. Taimia and Kasmeer shuffle in closer, curiosity evident.

The sylvari peers open an eye, inspecting the parcel in her hands, placing it on the table gently. Braham sits down across from them, reaching idly for the bowl in the middle, Marjory slapping his hand.

“Go on!” He clutches his hand to his chest protectively, giving the necromancer the stink eye. “Open it.”

As if she were suspicious, Titania unwraps it slowly and carefully. All of this thrown out the window when she spots what he gifted her. “Braham! Oh my gosh!”

Kasmeer coos. “Oh, those are cute.” Taimi cranes her neck up to try and see what’s in Titania’s hands.

The earrings she had to leave behind were now nestled in her hands, and an enormous grin had sprung onto her face. 

“Braaaaahaaaam!” The sylvari yells, jumping up from her seat to run around to the other side. Braham lets out an ‘oof’ as she plows into him, hugging him at mach speed. “Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you! You’re the best!” 

She leans forward, planting a quick and exaggerated ‘mwah’ to his cheek, before scurrying back to her seat and excitedly putting on her new treasure.

Titania Kas and Taimi all chatter excitedly amongst themselves, admiring the earrings. It wasn’t until Marjory elbowed him that he wiped the dopey grin off his face.

The detective gives him a knowing look, before pointing at her cheek. “You got a lil something there, big boy.” 

He reflexively goes to wipe his face, sputtering the whole while.

* * *

_The fourth kiss was on the coattails of a tragedy. Reluctant and miserable._

Braham stared at his mother, shock setting in as his limbs turned deathly cold and numb. This wasn’t supposed to happen, this was never supposed to happen. He takes a heaving breath, lip trembling and eyes watering. He refused to cry, he just couldn’t. Taking another shuddering breath, he tears his eyes away from the body.

Braham meets Titania’s gaze, unprepared for her face. It was blank and distant, and she was trembling like a leaf in the wind. As though she were coming to awareness, she gasps and looks at him proper.

Her eyes were apologetic, pitying. He felt sick. He wanted to throw up.

“Braham… I… I’m so sorry…” She says, barely above a whisper. Braham nods numbly, jolting in surprise as she slowly approaches him. Gently, she kneels next to him and takes his hand. He takes her hand in his, holding it like a lifeline.

“I…” He croaks, voice thick with emotion. “I need time… There’s… There’s rituals to perform and… Oh Spirits, Garm! I don’t know if he was with her in the crash…!” 

“Okay.” Titania squeezes his hand, thumb running over his knuckles in an attempt to soothe him. She was warm, and he desperately clings to her.

“And her bow… If its in that camp… I want it…” He was rambling now, anything to keep himself from breaking down. “You should go on ahead… I’ll catch up later...”

Her eyes widen in shock. “Are you sure?” 

“I’ll be fine, go on without me…” Braham says, but the deathgrip he has on her hand begs for the contrary. Truthfully, he didn’t want to be alone. He spent so long being alone, _please don’t leave him-_

“Take as much time as you need.” Titania agrees, and he chokes on a sob as she presses a sad kiss to his forehead. She pulls away, and he reluctantly lets her go.

The cold was back, and he was frozen in it.

* * *

_The fifth was long overdue. Bittersweet and healing._

Seeing his mother again, even briefly, had opened old wounds he thought had healed. To have her brush him off to speak with Aurene hurt, but he understood why. 

She hadn’t come to speak with him, but he wishes she had.  
Braham staggers a ways away from Titania and the others, adrenaline draining and making room for the twisting feeling in his gut. With a heavy and tired sigh, he sits down on the dirt floor, rocks digging into his legs. 

_She told him to move on._

He sniffles, misery setting in. He’d thought he was honouring her memory, by clutching to what little he had left of her. He was wrong, one foot in the past and the other in bad decisions. The soft crunching of gravel alerts him when someone walks slowly behind him.

“Braham?” Titania asks quietly, as not to alert the others. “Are you okay?”

_She told him to stop pushing her away._

Braham takes a shuddering breath. “No…” He says, voice watery.

The sylvari crouches next to him. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No…” He shakes his head, sniffling again. “I… Not yet… Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow works.” She agrees easily. “Do you want me to leave…?”

He shakes his head more. “Please don’t…”

“Okay.” Scooping up her skirt, she sits next to him. “Do you want a hug…?”

Braham doesn’t trust himself to speak, so he nods vigorously, sniffling loudly.

Titania shifts onto her knees, reaching up to his helmet and delicately pulling it off. She sets it aside and softly wraps her arms around his neck, pulling his head to her shoulder. Braham quickly buries himself in her hold, pulling her closer as he tries to hold back the inevitable sobs building up in his throat.

“It’s okay…” She tells him, pressing her lips to the split in his brow before resting her cheek against his forehead. Her hand cups his face, cradling him as she gently rubs soothing circles into his cheek. Braham sobs into her shoulder, the cold weight on his heart rising away. 

_He already had a family who loved him._

* * *

_The first time Braham kisses Titania, it’s her sixth time kissing him._

“From now on,” He promises her, squeezing her hand in his. “Wherever you lead, I’m right behind you.”

Titania gives him a fond and beautiful smile. “Not behind me, Braham.” She corrects. “By my side. To the end.”

As though he were sealing a pact, he leans down to meet her lips with his own, pressing “To the end.” into her smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my GW2 tumblr for more of these nerds.
> 
> https://commander-titania.tumblr.com/


End file.
